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International Cooperation

Co-operation with NATO and the European Union

Estonia as a NATO member state can enjoy the principles of collective defence, which means that aggression against any one of the member states shall be deemed as an aggression against the whole alliance. The European Union membership merges Estonia with the European economic and legislative space, Common European Foreign and Security Policy, and European Security and Defence Policy, which has increased the safety in the Baltic Sea region and throughout Europe.

Bi-lateral defence relations

Estonia has bilateral defence relations with approximately 35 countries in Europe, North America and Asia. Estonian Defence Attachés have been appointed to Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Poland, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Spheres of co-operation with strategic partners include active co-ordination of defence policy positions and co-operation in the fields such as operations, training, military education and procurement. The implementation of defence reforms in developing countries by co-ordinating the assistance projects with the beneficiaries and other donor countries represents another important element of Estonia’s international defence co-operation.

Arms control

Estonia has joined a number of international conventions of arms control and performs also several arms control obligations. Estonia’s rights and responsibilities in the sphere of arms control include practical outputs such as organising visits to armed forces of other OSCE countries under the 2011 Vienna document and receiving similar visits from other counties; or organizing and receiving surveillance flights in the framework Open Sky Convention.

Participation in International Operations

Contributing to the solving of international crises serves Estonia’s interests. By participating in international military operations, Estonia will contribute both immediately and in general to the security of Europe and the world as whole. This is the reason why Estonia is actively taking part in international military operations.